


For You

by craftingkitten



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Bloodbending (Avatar), F/M, Sozin's Comet, What-If
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-02
Updated: 2019-08-02
Packaged: 2020-07-27 01:22:51
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,247
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20037577
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/craftingkitten/pseuds/craftingkitten
Summary: Katara had sworn to herself that she would never use bloodbending again, until Zuko's seemingly lifeless body on the ground forced her to break the promise.





	For You

**Author's Note:**

> What if Katara had used her bloodbending to defeat Azula instead of how she originally did it in the series?

\---

Azula looked at her brother like he had just told her a terrible joke. “You want to be Fire Lord? Fine. Let’s settle this. Just you and me, brother. The showdown that was always meant to be,”

A dangerous glint glossed over her emerald eyes, “Agni Kai.”

Before her words had a chance to linger in the air, Zuko caught them. The yellow in his eyes seemed to flare “You’re on!”

Katara jerked her head towards him. “What are you doing?! She’s playing you! She knows she can take us both so she’s trying to separate us!” Anger quickly washed over the feeling of shock that she initially felt when she realised this meant that he would be putting both of them in danger, but mostly, himself. 

“Please, let me handle this Katara. I can sense that there’s something off about her. I can’t explain it, but she’s slipping.” Zuko's eyes remained glued to his sister. “This fight is between me and her. And this way, no one else has to get hurt. It’s time to end this once and for all.” Katara reached out to him, but the look of determination on his face tied some strings around her, controlling her like a marionette as she obliged and steered clear of the newly-formed battle ground.

The Fire Princess peeled the royal robe draping over her lithe figure, releasing her poorly done hair cut from her topknot in the process. “I’m sorry it has to end this way _ brother _!” Her eyes peeked through her jagged strands. Zuko nearly laughed at the idea that she still had some affection left for him. “No, you’re not.”

Blue flames, red flames. Smoke. Blue flames, red flames. Smoke.

Katara felt her breath hitching whenever the two flames collided, glowing under the red sky that was stained by the fallen comet. It created a rather beautiful sight, if it weren’t for the circumstances that it was happening under. As her cerulean eyes followed the two estranged siblings, she noticed the tangled knots that were Azula’s face when she must have realised that her banished brother was no longer the brash, short-tempered prince, but a calm and calculated fighter who countered her attacks with such poise it looked like he was fire dancing. A certain feeling that tasted like pride tugged at the waterbender’s heart.

Red flames, blue flames. Smoke. Blue flames, red flames. Smoke. 

The air had turned heavy with a musky smell since long ago, Zuko realised, but he wanted to keep this on for as long as he could. Facing his sister off strangely felt like finally getting some playtime that he had so painfully longed for when he was a child. A smile nearly crawled up to his lips. 

Azula begged to differ as the knots on her face grew tighter with each of her dodged attacks, and she whipped blue flames from each of her hands, darting around the courtyard while firing at Zuko. The banished prince countered by forming a circle of fire with his legs, sent it flying towards Azula. The flame slapped her on her chest and a painful cry escaped her lips as her body tumbled to the ground. She remained there for awhile, her inhales and exhales as deep as the dent she left on the cemented soil.

Katara ran back into the courtyard and quickly stood next to her travelling companion. “No lightning today? What’s the matter? Afraid I’ll re-direct it?” Zuko’s voice was heavy with mockery.

Azula pushed herself up, her body swaying like a ship in a storm, “**Oh, I’ll show you lightning**!” Her face twisted in dark humour as she summoned her weapon, its screeching sound raised the hairs on Katara’s neck as she sensed the danger that was about to come.

From the corner of her eyes, Azula saw that Katara had returned to the courtyard. The way the waterbender and her brother stood next to each other suddenly made her heart swell with anger and sadness, for he always had somebody who cared about him: their mother, Iroh, Mai, the Water Tribe girl, and she figured he also became friendly with the rest of the Avatar’s friends too.

He had all of these people, while she had none. 

“_I__ won’t let you have it! I’ll wipe that stupid smile off your face, Zuzu!” _ She shifted her gaze towards Katara. 

Zuko saw the movement in his estranged sister’s eyes. His heart sank when he saw the lightning changed its path, now sprinting its way towards Katara instead. “**NO!” **He screamed out as he jumped in front of the lightning, the voice at the back of his head chewed him out for saying such reckless things earlier. A few seconds later, he felt as if hundreds of swords simultaneously slashed his skin and electricity flowed through his veins, causing him to thrash on the ground like a fish out of water.

Between the ringing in his ears, he could hear Katara crying out his name.

A curtain of darkness draped over the earth.

\---

Every fibre in her being stopped functioning when Katara saw him lying lifelessly on the ground, sending a cold sensation all the way from her head to the tips of her toes. Everything that happened up until this point was suddenly a blur as she ran towards him, her hands clutching her water pouch, ready to bring any remaining life he had in him back to where it was supposed to be. A flash of lightning that nearly licked her served as a harsh reminder of what was happening, and she quickly shifted her attention towards the dark-haired fire princess who stood on the opposite side.

Azula’s laughter rippled through the courtyard, filling the musky air with a tinge of danger. Her golden eyes burned and all sanity that was left in her escaped with every lightning that she whipped towards Katara. Her attacks leaped after the waterbender, caressing the tips of her chestnut hair every now and then. Katara managed to dodge another blast of lightning before she hid behind the pillars supporting a long corridor in the courtyard. In between looking out for Azula, she stole glances at the unconscious prince, hoping that her eyes would at least meet his molten lava orbs, if seeing him standing tall would be too much to ask for. 

“Yoohooooo! Where are youuuu?” Azula’s voice forced her back into the battleground. The rattling of Azula’s footsteps on the roof made Katara's hands loom over her water pouch, ready to attack, but moments later she realised that she would not stand a chance against her enemy - not when her firebending was at its peak.

Then something tugged at the corner of her eyes.

It was the moonlight, smiling down at her.

The musky air suddenly tasted so fresh. She had completely forgotten that the moon was full that night and her gaze frantically searched for a body of water nearby, but to her dismay, she found none. It was as if Azula knew right from the start that she would be the one accompanying Zuko and if something went wrong, water would be her ally. Her heart came up to her throat when the princess jumped in front of her. “There you are, you filthy peasant!” Katara spun and ran away.

When there was enough distance between them, Katara turned around and sent a water whip Azula’s way. Her challenge was answered with a blast of flame. The water hissed when the two elements met and Katara turned to run, gritting her teeth at her failure. A loud thud echoed through the courtyard when Katara tripped on a pair of metal chains. She could hear Azula closing in on her. 

A low, grunting noise stopped the princess in her tracks. The eager grin she had been wearing suddenly dropped to the ground.

Katara was bewildered when she heard Azula’s footsteps going the opposite direction, but she was glad for the small miracle since it gave her time to stand up again. She looked back and saw that Zuko was awake now. Tears glazed over her eyes and she found herself thanking the Spirits for letting him remained in the land of the living, but only to have her heart sink when Azula stood over him; his weak figure enveloped by her shadow. The waterbender ran back and let a stream of water escape her pouch, aiming it towards the princess. She managed to hit her, but the water was only enough to add a little bit of distance between the two siblings. Azula threw her an irritated look before her eyes were filled with an emotion that made Katara’s heart hitched. 

The next thing she saw was a ball of flame knocking Zuko out like a chess piece. 

The sound of his stern yet oddly calming voice, his shy laugh; images of his bursts of frustrations, his awkwardness, his smile. They all flashed past her like the lightning that nearly killed her moments ago. Katara felt as if boulders suddenly fell on her body, making it hard to stay standing. Tears flowed violently down her cheeks, her sobs were so heavy they could crack the ground beneath her. She was certain he was gone.

If it had been a few years ago, never in her wildest dreams would she cry over someone who had tried to bring her harm. But that same person had grown to become a friend, someone who understood her struggles better than anyone because he too, had gone through the same things himself.

Someone she had fallen for, even if she wasn’t ready to admit it out loud.

Azula pouted out her lips when she saw the broken look on the waterbender’s face. “Oh my, are you worried about my lovely brother? If you like him that much then why don’t you join him in hell?” She pulled a wicked grin, “I’ll help you!”

Fear and frustration washed over her. Even with Azula standing so close to her, any attack she attempted at her opponent would be deflected effortlessly. With no significant body of water, the energy being casted by the full moon sat idly in the air. Unless . . . 

_No, no way! _Katara shoved the dangerous thought to the back of her mind. She had sworn to herself that she would never use that again for each time she gave in, a horrible aftertaste lingered. 

But then Zuko’s unconscious body called out to her and the hissing of Azula’s lightning bolt like an explosive ready to go off at any moment. She swallowed the lump that gripped her throat and closed her eyes to inhale the energy pouring down from the full moon.

The moon welcomed her invitation.

\---

Now that Zuko was out of the way, Katara became Azula’s next target. She was ready to redirect the lightning’s energy towards the waterbender when suddenly her body felt as stiff as a statue. Katara slowly stood up, extending her arms and when she curled up her fingers, Azula felt a tight pressure forming on her throat. Her eyes grew wild when she looked down to find nothing but air where she felt the pain. Katara swung her arms to the left and the princess felt herself being pulled like a kite. No matter how much she tried, her body would not obey her commands. A cold sensation enveloped her as she slowly realised that the waterbender was _somehow_ controlling her body. “Wha . . . what _ are _ you?” Her voice was gripped by a mix of bewilderment and horror. 

Tug. Tug. Tug. 

Azula continued swaying under Katara’s control, each pull became more ferocious as memories of her previous encounters with the princess came rushing back to her: how Azula had intended to kill her in the crystal cave, the stories Zuko had told her about their childhood, and just now, the way she snuffed the light out of him without a moment’s hesitation. 

Tug. Tug. Tug. 

Oh how she felt like she was the world’s creator. 

\---

The dark earth slowly lit up when Zuko opened his eyes. The first thing those molten lava orbs met was the comet-stained sky. It took a moment for him to collect his memories of what had happened and they came back to him like heavy rain - _ what happened while I was out? Is Katara safe? What if Azula got her? As far as I remember, there’s no water in this place! Why does it have to happen here? Oh Agni, what if she - ! _

His gaze frantically searched for the two young women and his eyebrows went to the tips of his fringe when they entered his line of vision.

Tugging and swaying, tugging and swaying. 

_ Katara’s done it again! _ He gathered what little energy was spared from Azula’s lightning attack to extend his arm, wishing he could touch her, calm her down.

Sure, he was fire and she was water, but whenever her heart turned stone cold, he was the only one able to melt the ice. _ Snap out of it! _He wanted to scream out to her so badly, yet all he could manage was barely more than a whisper “Kat...tara...stop...”

Katara raised her arms and Azula’s neck extended with them. Her eyes felt hot as a heinous feeling crept up her throat. She could easily end her, right there and then, get it over with quickly. 

Then suddenly, Azula’s porcelain skin wrinkled like dry soil, her jet black hair turned white, and her honey orbs dimmed into a pair of slanted grey eyes. _“Congratulations Katara. You’re a bloodbender.”_ The marionette under her control was now Hama, smiling up at her with a wicked grin. _“You must carry on my work.” _Cold sweat slipped down her forehead. 

“- tara…” A hoarse, yet familiar voice from the distance pulled her back from her delusion. She turned to see Zuko, alive, on the ground. It was as if the sky suddenly turned clear, the long war over, and all was well. A barely audible groan in front of her averted Katara’s attention and by that time, the helpless puppet she had been bloodbending had returned into the fire princess again.

Now that she knew Zuko was alive, healing him became her priority, but releasing Azula would be a terrible idea. _ Quick Katara think of something otherwise he really will die! _Her mind barked at her. 

Then she remembered the chains that she tripped over earlier. 

Zuko saw that Katara was still controlling his sister. She dragged the princess further and further away and finally, yanked Azula down to the ground. He wanted to call out to her again and tell her that he believed she would never stoop so low as to become a murderer. Then his eyes widened with surprise when he saw how with one hand, Katara was binding Azula to a pair of chains while keeping her down with the other. He was reminded once again what had made it difficult to take his eyes off her all this time: her strength and cleverness. His weak heartbeat picked up a pace from witnessing her actions. 

Katara’s eyes gleamed with relief as she rushed towards Zuko. “Oh thank Spirits you’re alive!” Her voice quivered under her heavy tears. She bent her water out of her pouch and placed it on what looked like a star-shaped scar running down his torso. The burning sensation was quickly replaced with a cool, soothing touch of the glowing water. His eyes fluttered shut from the comfort. 

\---

Azula watched Katara and Zuko slowly walking her way with her brother leaning against the waterbender for support. She examined the Katara the same way a prey looked at its predator: full of caution. She shifted her gaze towards Zuko and a crease clung onto her glabella when she saw how very much alive he was. His darkened eyes looked down on her “It’s over, Azula.” 

_ In the end, I still have nothing, while he has everything. _

Azula thrashed around, her screams spat flames into the air. 

Katara and Zuko walked away from the courtyard. Now that Azula was out of the way, one burden was lifted and allowed them to breathe a little. 

At that moment, he became painfully aware of how they were basically glued to each other- he could feel the way her arm encircled his waist as she supported him, the softness of her hair under his arm, and how quite significantly smaller she was than him. At that moment too, her heart refused to calm down as she could feel herself being engulfed by his body heat, the leanness of his muscles against her softer, more feminine figure. 

Their faces flushed from thinking of such rather inappropriate things. 

_He nearly died there! The only thing you should feel happy about is him being alive! _Katara thought about slapping herself. 

_She saved your life, you jerk! How dare you! _Zuko mentally banged his head repeatedly on a nearby tree. 

"Are you feeling alright?" Katara decided to break the lingering silence. 

Zuko cleared his throat, "A lot better than when I was on the verge of death earlier." He could feel Katara tensed a little at that. "Sorry. Anyways-" He cleared his throat again, a little louder this time, "Thank you, Katara.” He turned to look at her, his chin nearly brushed her forehead. Katara fought against her rampaging heartbeat to meet his gaze, “I think I’m the one who should be thanking you.” 

It was then he noticed the other details that he had missed earlier: the loose strands of her hair, the bruises on her arms, the dirt clinging to her clothes. How hard she must had been fighting Azula before she had to resort to one of the things she despised doing. “No, I’m sorry. I had been reckless with my words and in the end, it forced you to use your bloodbending.” 

She shook her head, “You took a lightning for me. I’d do it all over again.” Katara nearly clasped her mouth over the implications of what she had just said. Her words lingered in the air like a lost kite, unsure if it would take a dive or soar back up into the sky. Her face tickled from the violent blush on her cheeks as she tore her gaze away. 

A tingling sensation rushed through his whole body after hearing those words. She had been the one responsible for making his heart beat irregularly for awhile now, but he hadn’t dared to harbour such feelings because he didn't want to ruin the hard-earned friendship between them, and furthermore, because of all the wrongs he had done in the name of regaining a false sense of honour.

He stopped in his tracks and it alerted Katara. “What’s the matter?” Her flustered expression was replaced by worry. 

Zuko rubbed the back of his neck, his heart was beating faster than ever before, “If I don’t do this now, I’ll regret it for the rest of my life. If-if you don’t mind, of course.” His eyes glimmered with warmth before he lowered his gaze to her lips, where small cuts had made them even redder than usual. It was now her turn to have euphoria clawing at her heart, for nothing more was needed to answer her question if he felt the same way too. 

“Well, you’d better hurry up before Ozai’s army starts chasing us around again!”

Her teary eyes smiled.

_xxx_


End file.
